Beach bums?

We ran about 4km yesterday on the sand at Scarborough beach, which was great. Then we went swimming and finished the sesh at Dome cafe for refreshments ;-) What a radiant, healthy bunch of chicks :oD

Lots...

Lotsa things have happened over the last couple of weeks. I just finished six exams and a whole lot of assignments and we're heading up to graduation shortly!

With regard to that night-fill job, it's funny cos I put in my CV Saturday, got a phone call Monday to come in for an interview and then when I went in, I was just overwhelmed with peace. Colossians 3:15 says to let the peace of God be your umpire. Within 5 minutes, the Manager said she would be happy to take me on board. Easy. I had the 3hr induction training last Saturday. Pretty boring cos we just filled out numerous forms and watched DVDs about correct lifting techniques. Not the most enthralling viewing material, but anyway, I believe God has a divine plan for me being there. My first proper shift is tomorrow night.

Anyway, last week during morning tea at college, one of the pastors came up to me and asked me if I would like to do an office job at church, doing all the administrative work behind the scenes for the correspondence students. I realised over the weekend that this would mean I would have to do second year Bible college starting next year (I was considering having a six-month break), because they don't actually pay you, but rather deduct money out of your Bible college fees. Pretty cool. So, on Tuesday I decided to accept their offer, meaning I will work two afternoons a week for the Church, sitting out the front! I guess they saw me faithful in the little things (e.g. volunteering in bookshop, interceding for the students every week, making it to prayer every morning at college...) that it's like I got a small promotion.

And I have agreed to babysit Angelina three days a week for Jules for cash during my holidays, I am not so sure I want to continue this into next year's Bible college though!

And then there's Angelique's Saturday running group that I would love to get to every Saturday. So suddenly, my life has become very busy. Maybe a bit too busy. Nah, His grace is sufficent. Apparently, second year is not as intense. Oh I hope they are right.

Me at 6mths old :-) hehe

A poem about Jesus' baptism

For one of our assignments, we were asked to creatively express an incident from the life of Jesus that appeals to us. I chose the baptism of Jesus and because i have zilcho talent when it comes to drawing, paiting, sculpting, song-writing, skit-writing, etc..., i had no choice but to write a poem. Haha ...boy, i can certainly say it really stretched me, especially coming up with one that rhymes! The Scripture was:

Matthew 3:13-17: “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness”. Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased”.

And here's my poem:

A man called John
Knew right from wrong
His job to baptize
Was made a delight
When he met the Son of God

A radiant man
With a wise plan
Jesus was gracious
Had a sweet fragrance
And a heavenly band

John was humble
Perhaps with a mumble
And stars in his eyes
When asked to baptise
A man so noble

But Jesus had wisdom
Enough to convince him
It was God’s will
A plan to fulfill
Total submission

When Jesus arose
In wet clothes
A season ended
A dove descended
To the one God chose

Jesus was anointed
By divine appointment
His ministry started
For the broken hearted
And those disjointed

His Father so proud
Couldn’t help being loud
He boldly proclaimed
His pleasure and fame
With cheering allowed

New perspective

Well, after feeling somewhat grieved about last night, I woke up with a new sense of purpose and determination to change my circumstances.

I am not sure if it was the Holy Spirit or me, but I had this idea come into my mind about applying for one of those night fill jobs at Coles. I just rang up the Coles nearest to me and sure enough, they have some night fill positions available. So I am currently preparing my CV to get one of those jobs. I used to work at the same store for 3.5 years through my uni days and I know their casual rate is really good and they treat their staff fairly, so I figure why not give it a shot. I could do with a bit more exercise each week and I know my arm muscles are in superb form from my boot camp days, and also from looking after Angelina so much. She is still about 6kg in weight.

I just rang up Val from VLC bookshop where I work Sunday nights and Ps Judy, the Dean of the Bible college, and both said I can use them as referees. In fact Val said she would give me a glowing reference. Yippee do :-)

Last night I surfed the real estate website and found a beautiful little unit for $270 per week, which is fully furnished. The idea of a furnished unit was something I used to find off-putting previously, however, this one is done up with quite tasteful furniture and I was thinking about how much more convenient it would be to just move into a unit like that - so much less hassles, no removal van needed, no begging people to help me, etc... easy! The rent is more than I was expecting, but if I get a casual job, it would be manageable. Defintiely worth the freedom and peace! I am not sure I will apply for that unit, but it certainly has me thinking a bit deeper than I did before.

Wake-up call

Went to Villa Picasso tonight for Tam's 20th bday. A couple of weeks ago, Julz surprised me with a request for me to babysit Angelina because she was going to a women's meeting at a church somewhere. I was pretty stoked, so of course I said yes. Anyway, I only realised a couple of nights ago that the night she planned to go just so happened to be the same night at Tam's bday dinner. I asked mum if she could babysit Angelina instead, but she said no and so I made the wrong decision to bring her along to the dinner party. BIG mistake.

I dressed up in a beautiful white floral dress and a cream wrap-around lacy woven cardigan and brown boots, and I dressed up Angelina really nicely too in a soft pink woollen jumpsuit. When we got there, it was in an upstairs, warm sunny room and I realised straight away that we were both dressed way too warmly (my jacket being a tie around top that wasn't really suited to taking off). Then as the guests started to arrive, Angelina started getting unsettled and we were both breaking into a sweat and it was just awful and the people I didn't know asked me whose baby it was and I had to explain that she was my sister's baby, and then the ones I already knew commented about how I must spend more time with her than her mum and I said how Julz was at a church meeting in answer to prayer and it got me into some awkward conversations. I couldn't really get up and move around and socialise either because I had Angelina on my lap.

Then the dinners started coming out, and because I had to hold Angelina, I had chosen one of two easy-to-eat-with-one-hand dishes, which was the gnocci. Well the gnocci was not only hot in temperature, but also in spice levels and I didn't really like the taste of it, so it made me sweat even more.

A few people tried to settle Angelina for me while I attempted to eat the meal, but she just kept crying and so I left my meal and raced her out the door and as soon as we got to the car she quietened down. I realised I had to leave. So I ran back upstairs with my money for the meal I had barely touched, handed it to Tammy and apologised before leaving without talking to anyone else.

I left feeling so disappointed with the realisation that helping to babysit Angelina is destroying my life. I do look after her to much and I need to break away and get on with my own life.

Erin took these photos with my camera for me. Such beautiful people present, such a shame I couldn't talk to them ;-( Urrrggghhh

Prophecy

In August last year, some American dude prophesied over me and I am realising he was spot on with regard to what God was planning to do in my life! I have seen some of what he said come to pass this year.

He said that:

1. God was bringing me into a place of intimacy and fellowship so that I would know absolutely that what's happening around me would not affect what's happening inside me, and that God would bring a maturity inside me in such a way that i'd willing to walk with the Lord no matter what happens;
2. God was going to bring a spirit of intercession upon me so that I would begin to cry out to the Lord for not only what I think i'm lacking, but i'm going to be carrying the burden of the Lord, the heart of the Lord for other people, and as I begin to hear the Lord for other people, I will also hear the Lord for myself;
3. God was removing the weightiness about myself and bringing about the weightiness of His own heart and His own glory, about a nation, about people around me;
4. God would put the Word of the Lord in prayer inside me that when I pray what's on His heart, I would find out that it has an effect and by doing that a fresh confidence from the Holy Spirit would come to me so I know that I am not left behind or left out;
5. he saw a detour, but I have an on-ramp onto the express way and God is going to give me a way to get on, i'm not going to be going on the side, but i'm gonna be able to get on and go quickly; and
6. the joy of the Lord would become my portion and everyone around me would begin to drink of my cup. The joy of the Lord would be my strength.

This year, I have been brought into fellowship with some amazing people through Bible college and in contrast to last year when my circumstances overwhelmed me and brought me so much grief, I am now not moved by what I see and hear around me, but rather my eyes are focussed on God and I have peace in my life. God keeps him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Him, because he trusts in Him [Isaiah 26:3].

The spirit of intercession has come on me in a huge way. It's funny cos in the first couple of terms, I opted to do the highschool outreach program, which meant serving breakfast to the kids and consequently missing 8am prayer on those mornings. Each student is only expected to rock up in their allocated week to pray for the needs of the day, yet I felt myself craving to attend every day of every week. Then I changed my outreach program to a Friday morning service, so I can attend all the prayer sessions. On the three days I bring my niece to college, she comes with me! Then in addition to that, I have been asked to join a group of intercessors to pray for other, more specific needs. I know I am walking in God's will with regard to attending this group. I leave feeling so refreshed and uplifted and I am starting to hear God's voice clearly for others.

Then true to the prophetic words, I am also starting to hear what the Holy Spirit has to say with regard to my own issues. For example, last Saturday I woke up and heard the Holy Spirit say to curse the root of bitterness in my mother. I have never thought of praying that for her.

I have also felt drawn to attend the VLC Prayer for the Nations weekly meetings and guess what happens there? - I find out all about God's heart for the nation! How interesting.... and it's true about the Word of the Lord getting inside me and into my prayers. I pretty much only pray the Word of God now, cos that's the most powerful way to pray because God's angels hearken to the Word of God (Psalm 103:20) and God is ready to perform it (Jeremiah 1:12) and His words NEVER return void (Isaiah 55:11). I am definitely starting to see results from my prayers, the fruit of disciplining my flesh to pray pray pray!!!

I know Bible college is the detour he was talking about. I haven't seen the on-ramp express lane yet, but I believe that's the career path God has for me after Bible college.

The joy of the Lord is my strength. I have such a joyful prayer language to sing in and lots of students have said it sounds so full of joy. I know God's joy flows out of my life now, I can feel it carrying me through each day and being imparted through contagious smiles. Glory to God, He is turning my life around so much.

Farewell party

Last night I went to a farewell party for Dan, Ben and Mike, only Mike couldn't make it....actually Jelli only just organised it early afternoon yesterday, so a lotta people couldn't make it. You'd think she would've checked that Mike could make it tho!!! hahaha ;oD Anyway, there were just a few of us and we spent the night taking loads of silly piccies, including these:

Inaugural girls fitness group meeting

Yesterday marked the start of our new "Lets Get Physical - LPG" girls running group, meeting Saturday afternoons 3pm to 4.30pm ;-) Yesterday, Jelly, Kristin, Vicki and I ran about 3km alongside the ocean up at Sorrento. It felt wonderful, despite the polluted air. Kristin and I really noticed the difference in air quality compared to Kings Park, where the beautiful aroma of gum leaves, jasmine and frangipani flowers permeates the air.

Intercession

Was so totally rapped this morning and wasn't able to share my joy with anyone at college, nor at home. I have only told Kristin cos we caught up for a run at lunchtime and she's independent enough. Anyway, so it's yet another story for my beloved blog!

This morning before college, I met with the usual group of intercessors that Ive been asked to pray with on behalf of the needs of a select group of people. After praying up a bit of a storm, one of them stopped the prayers and said she felt we needed to pray for one of our own, so we covered some more ground, then turned to the one we were directed to pray for. Upon starting, the Lord gave me Jeremiah 17:7-8 to give to her. It says "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit". As soon as I began reading it, she starting squealing "yes yes yes, that's for me". It's funny how I just knew it was for her, because we didn't even discuss what she needed prayer for. From what I gather, she has had some sort of unexpected attack on her finances.

Then as we began to pray, I had a vision of a dark room with windows all down the side. The windows started to pop open and sunlight streamed into the room, I could see the golden rays and felt their warmth. As I quietly watched and wondered what the vision meant, the person praying suddenly prayed that windows of opportunity would open, and I stopped them and said "that's it, that's what the vision was!" and I explained my vision. Then the one praying said they also saw a vision of windows, exactly the same. I was so encouraged!!!

These intercessors have been mighty prayer warriors for many years and are much older then me. For the last couple of months we have prayed together in obedience and I have never had visions before, though everyone else has had frequent and numerous visions for every person we have covered! I couldn't help but feel a little bit intimidated by my sheer lack of insight, so I asked the Lord to also give me visions to share. Wow, God truly answers prayer. I just know without a doubt I am where He wants me to be. Glory to God. It feels so good.

Tonight I am heading to the VLC Prayer for the Nations. I am so excited.

Old days

This is a piccy from 2004, which just so happens to still be on the Net!!! I am sitting in the front row, third from the left among all these very important executives who head the departments across Government. Man, I am so grateful I no longer work there! PRAISE GOD He delivered me ;oD

Still mucking around with hair

This is Elyse, Christie and I all sporting the same hairdo ;-)

Aunty Michelle & Angelina

A change of hair!

Christie showed me the funniest website, which allows you to view yourself with different hairstyles. This is my range of hairdos ;-)

A blessing of nappies

Yesterday, Sharon gave me a whole lot of very cute cloth nappies for Angelina. She bought them many years ago and used them for her three kids, but her kids are now too big and she no longer intends to have any more children, so she kindly gave them to me. What a blessing! They were made in Scotland and mum and I have never seen anything like them. They are just adorable.

Some have velcro, while the rest have little press studs so you can close the nappies at a range of distances to cater for growth. There are 11 white towell-type material nappies, six "baby beehind" nappies, three little coloured soft (red and green) nappies, five sea-design printed waterproof cases and eight white waterproof cases. She also tossed in three bibs, two white carry bags and a hanging nappy holder. Oh what a blessing. Praise God ;-)

Goodbye Misty

Yesterday, our beautiful German Shepherd, Misty, died. That's three dogs gone now between Jules and Mum's house. I actually feel somewhat relieved though because Misty has been ill for many years and has suffered from depression since going through some overwhelmingly challenging situations over the last seven years. I actually prayed God would put her out of her misery, just a couple of days ago.

I was so grateful that one of our friends Marcus, just happened to ring up mum and was at the house within an hour of Misty dying. She was a huge dog, weighing at least about 80kg. He somehow managed to dig a hole and carry her to it all on his own. The saddest thing is that Marshall, our two year old German Shepherd, simply refused to vacate the room where she died and insisted watching Marcus remove her body. I don't think he understood she had died. All yesterday, he kept wandering outside around the back garden to look for her. Oh the poor dog. Just breaks my heart. How do you explain to a dog what has happened.

Apart from that, i just feel so much peace about the situation. She is in a much better place now than suffering on earth.

Divine healing

The last few days, my little niece has apparently been ill. On Friday when she went to college, her food came up and out of her mouth four times and that was before creche had started at 9am! So anyway, I had mercy and told Jules she could bring her over yesterday. She arrived at 12.30pm and I took her off Jules, told mum and Jules to go and do something else, closed my room door and got into some serious warfare.

I sang in tongues over her for two hours, annointed her with oil, bound evil spirits in Jesus name, pleaded the blood of Jesus over her and prayed Scripture over her. Four hours later, she was radiant with divine glowing health and smiling a BIG smile.... so I snapped these piccies of her. Then I took her to church for the Saturday night service. It was such a small congregation, but she loved it all the same. She smiled at everyone who walked by and gazed around the room during praise and worship. Then she had a nap through Ps David's sermon, before becomign bright and perky again for the closing praise and worship song. I dropped her home at 7.30pm and she was still smiling. Bless her little heart. The sacrifice of time was worth it.

Sowing seeds on good soil

I am so excited. Over the last few months I have felt led to pray for an old friend, and to reconnect with her. I can see my prayers are working.

Today is her birthday and so on Thursday, I posted her a gift so she could get it by her birthday. I figured, she has not watched the Christian DVD I sent her, so I decided to use yet another means of sowing seeds into her life. The journal is really cute and says "Every day is a gift from God" on the front. Each page has a different Scripture, some food for her starved, hungry spirit! Anyway, she just rang me up to say thank you and how touched she was by it.

... and THEN, she started to ask me about Bible college and asked me what exactly I'm studying. Hehe, I was ready. I told her we were studying Australia's Christian heritage and told her this is a Christian nation and some of our early explorers, like Captain Cook, dedicated this country to God. I also told her about the different methods of healing I have learnt. She asked what I meant by that and I said, oh you can pray words from the Bible over people who are sick, you can annoint them with oil, you can use the name of Jesus, etc.. she was intrigued. We learnt that in second term this year. Then I started telling her about the areas of community service Victory Life Centre is involved in, for example feeding the homeless through Kings Cafe, clothing struggling families that Centrelink sends to the church through our communties services centre, helping people in challenging circumstances to clean up their houses and gardens through the outreach teams we send out. They were all examples she could understand and connect with.

Prior to our lunch last week, I have never really spoken to her about my faith and the wonderful Lord Jesus I serve. I thought about telling her my testimony today, which I have been preparing for this Tuesday coming up when I have to deliver it to the whole class (aaaagggghhhh), but it wasn't the right time. I am feeling a bit nervous. I suppose because mine seems so much deeper and more personal than the three we have heard so far. I just feel the Holy Spirit wants me share it. I sort of feel a bit raw exposing these details, but I know that if it wasn't for God's tender mercies, I would not be where am today, so I want to give God the glory. He deserves the highest praise. One of my friends at college, John, pointed out that we can set people free with our testimonies.

Revelation 12:11 tells us that we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.

Secular mix

For the last few months, I have felt as though the Lord has been leading me to reconnect with a girl I used to work with about three years ago. Since I started college, I have actually been distancing myself from a lot of old work colleagues because their beliefs and values are different to mine and when we have had spiritual conversations, I have found myself getting a bit confused because my foundations were not strong and I think I had a warped perception of some doctrine.

Anyway, only a few weeks ago in prayer one morning, I suddenly felt this overwhelming burden for this girl and I felt as though the Lord wanted me to buy her a children’s DVD called “God made you so special”. I wrestled with the idea initially, thinking about how I could use the money more wisely and also, being a children’s cartoon movie, I was unsure how useful it would be or what she would think. After all my internal debating, I went ahead and bought the DVD, drove to her house and left it on her doorstep with a note saying I would love to catch up.

To be honest, I didn’t really feel much like catching up though because this girl is so much into new age stuff and it really grieves me...so it was a declaration in faith. Anyway, for the next couple of weeks we played phone hockey and kept missing each other’s calls. After we arranged a time for lunch, we had to reschedule a few times. She said she also wanted another workmate to come. I sort of got the impression she was a bit fearful of meeting with me alone because she knows I am at Bible college. Anyway, we finally managed to arrange at a set time – yesterday lunch time with our other friend, and my baby niece Angelina.

So Angelina and I parked up the top of Mount St, walked down the huge hill and got there half an hour early, so we just sang in tongues waiting. When this other friend walked in, she immediately fell in love with Angelina and asked to have a hold. Then I proceeded in telling her all about what a miracle she was and how my sister had had numerous miscarriages and how if I wasn’t at Bible college I didn’t believe she would be alive today. I also told her how God had spoken to me in a dream and told me to do Bible college.

To my surprise, Bev was actually really receptive of all that I said and it’s like I just had this boldness in talking about God. She said she wasn’t “religious at all”, but that her daughter has recently gotten involved in a Baptist church and how she had heard of an Indian guy who had been healed and who God had also spoken to in a dream and later become a devout Christian. Praise God He has obviously been planting lots of seeds in her life!!!

Then Dee, the one I’ve been praying for so much, came along and I repeated my testimony about Angelina. Both asked me quite a few questions and it didn’t seem weird or uncomfortable at all. Neither could get over how sweet and quiet and beautiful Angelina is. I said it was because she is a gift from God. In contrast, Bev said her children all screamed and cried all the time and often vomited up their food because they suffered from reflux (a condition of the gut where the valve doesn’t work properly). She said that in the few times she ducked out to the shops, it was a nightmare and so the idea of bringing them to a restaurant was not even a consideration. She said she was so sleep deprived and old ladies kept giving her unwanted advice and she felt like bashing them all up. She also said Angelina was so pretty and delicate, unlike her children who were rolls of fat and odd-shaped. I never realised some mothers had it so hard and it made me realize how blessed I am to be part of such a precious child’s life.

Dee said she hadn’t watched the DVD yet, but was touched by the fact that I had given it to her.
Anyway, after about an hour, we all went our own separate ways. I didn’t lead either of them to Christ, but I felt a sense of satisfaction that God had used me to sow some seeds into their lives and I had obeyed His leading. I have never felt at ease sharing my faith with unbelievers, yet our conversation yesterday seemed so natural and not weird or uncomfortable in any way. In fact, that was by far the best time I have ever had with them. I wish so much in my heart that I could show them the way to Jesus, to peace, healing and wholeness. I guess I just have to pray and intercede for them and wait to see what the Holy Spirit wants me to do next.

I only have this weekend left of my holidays, then it is back into term four of Bible college. Agggghhh, so much more i want to do!

My adopted Maori family

Today Angel and I spent the day with Josie's warm, welcoming Maori family. We went to Sizzler for her daughter, Estelle's birthday and then hung out in her house and let Angelina play with Perth, who is Josie's 7 month-old granddaughter. It was nice to just chill out. I am not used to just chilling out because my days are usually spent running around all over the place, either doing some sort of fitness activity or shopping or errands or attending meetings or babysitting or studying, etc... I rarely have days where i just sit around and do very little. Anyway, it was a nice change. This is the third time i have hung out with my adopted Maori family. I just love them all so much. I love the Maori culture.

The first piccy shows us all minus Hope's friend, Richelle - left to right we have me with Angel, then Hope (16), Lance (21), Josie, Estelle (38) and Perth (7mths). Hope, Lance and Perth are three of Estelle's five children.